Center for Economic and Policy Research

For millions of retired Americans, Social Security benefits barely beat earning the minimum wage, while rich retirees who don't need the money receive much larger checks. With the iconic safety net program in budget trouble, should the wealthy be forced to sacrifice those benefits?

President Obama's proposed spending plan seeks to slash $1.1 trillion from the deficit over the next decade. Republican House Speaker John Boehner says that's too little. In fact, the cuts go too far in the wrong direction: With the economy still recovering, Obama should raise federal spending.